The field of the invention is construction tools, and more specifically an oscillating saw used for general construction, repair, installation, and cutting of various materials for these and other purposes.
Oscillating saws are known in the prior art to comprise a circular blade having fine pitch teeth and an oscillating motor drive to drive the blade reciprocally through an angular excursion of a few degrees or less. These devices are generally used for medical purposes such as cutting plaster casts to effect removal thereof from a limb or body portion. Oscillating saws are also used to cut bone; e.g., to sever the sternum and create an entry opening for cardiac bypass surgery and other open heart procedures. The primary reason oscillating saws are used for such medical purposes is that the oscillating blade is effective in cutting hard or rigid tissue such as bone, but not soft or slack material such as skin or membrane. Therefor, for the types of procedures noted above the oscillating saw minimizes the danger of accidental incision to the patient while cutting the intended material.
In other fields such as construction, manufacturing, repair, and installation of appliances and mechanical systems and the like, cutting tools such as circular saws, jig saws, band saws, chain saws, and the like are well known in the prior art. These power tools are considered to be sufficient for their intended purposes, although they all have their drawbacks. For example, all power tools are dangerous to the individuals operating them, and the accident rate for users of power tools is quite high in the building and construction trades as well as among domestic users. Such accidents can be catastrophic, including loss of limbs, loss of eyesight, and loss of life. Although safety devices and safety procedures have been devised for most power tools, such as blade guards, use of protective eye wear, electrically grounded housings, and benches for supporting workpieces, severe accidents continue to occur.
Furthermore, all power cutting tools may tend to pull the workpiece through the cutting blade, due to the rotational motion or reciprocating motion of the blade. This action can limit the ability of the worker to control the speed of the cut. Also, the blade may bind in the cut, in which case the motion of the blade may be transmitted directly to the workpiece, causing the workpiece to fly off or causing the tool to lurch out of the grasp of the worker. In either case there is great danger to the worker and surrounding personnel.
Therefor, it is an object of the invention to apply the inherently safer oscillating blade cutting device to fields such as construction, manufacturing, repair, and installation of appliances and mechanical systems and the like. It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved oscillating blade saw that is optimized for a wide range of uses and for a wide range of materials.